People talk about the pain ….

At Happy Feet Pedorthics people with a personal membership of Arthritis Australia or State Association will be given a 10% discount for any orders placed during the Arthritis Awareness Week. At Happy Feet Pedorthics we encourage you to bring your membership card to your appointment, where we will assess and fit you for footwear with the aim to reduce pain and increase comfort!

There are many conditions which are grouped under the arthritis, osteoporosis and other muscle, bone, and joint conditions group. At Happy Feet Pedorthics it is one of the most common group of conditions we see amongst our clients.

People talk about pain, warmth, swelling and stiffness mainly in the forefoot. People point out and talk about the gradual deformity of their toes – especially the metatarsophalangeal joint at the great toe area; and for the client – shoe fitting is increasingly an issue!

At Happy Feet Pedorthics, we see the odema, the deformed toes, the really sore plantar surface of the feet with the prominent met heads, the bunions, the hallux valgus formations, the nodules; along with the corns and callus.

The common theme is pain! Pain in the feet, the knees, the back, my toes, my ankle, this joint here! The story often goes “look at the feet, look at the hands.” People often talk about I can’t ….., can’t go out of the house, can’t walk any more – and I love my walking!

As a group the arthritis and osteoporosis conditions are very debilitating!

There is good news though! A Pedorthist can help! At Happy Feet Pedorthics we can:

Off load into the orthoses and or the shoes, giving more room and comfort

Relast the shoe, making it wider at the forefoot or the midfoot

Make padded tongues, to enhance fit, and make for cushioned closure

Make rocker soles, with or without carbon fibre plates

Make lateral and medial stabilizers, at the hind or mid foot

Make SACH heels to cushion the heel and give more roll through to the forefoot

Convert laces to velcro closures

Make supportive and cushioned accommodative orthotics

Make customized or fully custom made shoes

Stretch shoes – as a last resort. The aim is to fit shoes which do not need to be broken in!

Exercise is important for people with muscle bone and joint conditions. Some exercises are weight bearing such as tai chi, and others non-weight bearing such as swimming. In the mix of it all there is walking to be done so at Happy Feet Pedorthics we aim to get the footwear correct for you!

The MOVE muscle, bone & joint health, the new voice of Arthritis and Osteoporosis Victoria offers a wealth of information at www.move.org.au including how to join as a member, which in turn can be used to receive a discount on footwear during Arthritis Awareness Week 2017 which begins on Sunday 28 May and ends on Saturday 3 June.